Loose-leaf binder



Dec. 11 1923.

A. RUBIN LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Oct. 16. 1922 Patented Dec. 13., 1923.

ADOLPH RUBIN, OF ST. LOUIS, .MISSDURI, ASSIGNOR TO SIEBER PRODUCTS MFG. (30.,

arena i =FEQE,

OF ST LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed October 16, 1922. Serial No. 594,815. I

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLrH RUBIN, a. citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Loose-Leaf Binders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to loose leaf binders of the type in which the leaves are retained in position by tapes, bands or cords that are connected to a winding shaft which is adapted to be rotated in one direction to draw the tapes taut, and thus cause the leaves to be clamped tightly between the two leaf clamping members of the binder.

One object of my present invention is to provide an eflicient mechanism of novel design and inexpensive construction for looking the winding shaft of a loose leaf binder of the general type referred to.

Another object is to provide a loose leaf binder of novel construction that embodies the desirable features and characteristics of the loose leaf binder described in my S.

Patent No. 1,271,228, dated July 2, 1918.

To this end I have devised a loose leaf binder that comprises a winding shaft and a locking mechanism for said shaft. composed of a coiled spring which surrounds the shaft, and means for causing one or more coils of said spring to exert sufficient frictional pressure on the shaft to lock the same or prevent the shaft from accidentally turning in a direction to slacken or loosen the tapes. Said locking spring can be arranged in various ways and various means can be used for causing said spring to clamp and hold the winding shaft. In the form of my invention herein illustrated the locking SpringiS so constructed and arranged that when it is in its inoperative condition it will not interfere with the rotary movement of the winding shaft either forwardly or rearwardly, and when it is in its operative" condition, it will'sec-urely hold-the winding shaft against rotary movement rearwardly. The means that is'used to cause the locking spring to engage and hold the winding shaft consists of an element that exerts pressure on said spring in a directiontending to twist the spring, and thus reduce the diameter ofone or more coils of same sufiiciently to force said coil or coils into snug engagement with the shaft. Said element can be formed in various ways without departing from the spirit of my invention, but it preferably consists of a cam or inclined surface arranged in proximity toa lateral ex: tension on one end of the locking spring and adapted to be engaged with said extension by moving one of said parts relatively to the other, so as to twist or turn the spring in a direction to draw one or more coils of the same tightly around the shaft,

and thus bind or hold the shaft. When it is Figure 1 of the drawings is an end eleva- I tional view of a loose leaf binder con structed. in accordance with my invention showing the tapes of the binder tightened.

Figure 2 is a similar view, showing-the tapes slackened.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the binder,

showing the tapes slackened and'the locking spring on the w ndlng shaft 111 its inoperativecondition.

Figure 4 is a detail view, showing a portion o'f the winding shaft and, the device that is used to move said shaft endwise of its bearings, illustrating said device in the position it occupies when the winding shaft is locked. I

Figure 5 is a detail view of the parts shown in Figure 4, illustrating said parts in'the position they assume when the windshaft is released. 7

Figure 6 is a bottom plan view of a portion of theleaf. clamping member that carries the windingshaft, showing the locking spring on the winding shaft in its operative condition.

Figure is a cross-sectional View, taken on the line 7-7 Figure 6, locking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and

Figure 7 is a similar view, showing the locking spring on the winding shaft in its inoperative condition.

.bers between which leaves B are arranged.

C designates tapes or hands of flexible ma- I terial that pass through slots in. the leaves B, and D designates a winding shaft to which one end of. the tapes C are connected, the other ends of said tapes being'connected to the leaf clamping member A. The winding shaft D is rotatably mounted, in bearings on the leaf clamping member A, and 'means is provided for locking, clamping or holding said shaft after it has been turned in a direction to draw the tapes taut so as to.

cause the leaf clamping members A and A to firmly clamp or bind the rear edge portions of the leaves together, as shown in Figure l.

The means that is used for locking, elainping or holding the winding shaft D is of novel construction and is-composed of a coiled spring E that surrounds the winding shaft, and means for causing. said spring to exert sufiicient frictional pressure on said shaft to prevent it from turning accidentally. The spring E is preferably arranged betweentwoof the shaft bearings 1 on the leaf clamping member A, and said spring is providedat its opposite ends with lateral extensions. 2 and 3 that bear upon opposite sides of a stop formed by the portion 4 of the leafclamping member A that lies between the two shaft bearingsvl betweenwhich the. spring E is arranged, The spring E is so proportioned that when it is in its .inoperative condition, as shown in Figures 3 and 7 the coils of same snugly surround the winding Shaft D, without, however, ex erting sufiioient frictional pressure on same to prevent theshaft from being rotated, and as the lateral extensio-ns 2 and 3 at the upper and. lo-werends of the spring are positioned on opposite sides of the stop 4:, rotary movement of the wind ng. shaft in either, d1rec.

spring of the said spring, thereby reducing the diameter of one or more cells: of the spring, and cansing the same to exert, sufficient frietional .pigessure on the winding shaft to tightly clamp, the same and hold it against rota-1: movement either forwardly or .rearward'ly. In they form of my invention herein illust a e the means th t. s d o. exert P 7 sure on the extension Zattheirpper end of forined that when, the device F Mg Laser/e7 the spring E consists of a cam or inclined surface 5 arranged on the stop or portion l.- of the leaf clamping member A in proxinn; 7 J) said extension 2, said cant or inclined surface 5 being so designed that when the extension 2 on the spring E rides up onto same, as shown in Figures (5 and 7', the n 'iper coil or coils of the spring will be drawn so tightly around the winding shaft that it is impossible for said shaft 1 to accident turn in either direction. in the form of my invention herein shown the cam 5 is formed by a pressed portion on the-stop. i of the leaf clamping member li but; it will, of course, be understood tliatthe cam orinclined surface 5, can be formed in various other ways, I

Various means can be used. formoving-the lateral extension 2 on the locking spring E into engagement with the cam 5, so; as, to render said spring operative for lockinglthe winding shaft, bu I prefer; .to equip the;binder with; a device. F that is combined with the winding shaftD in such an'ianner that when said device F is moved in. one. direction, the winding shaft will KEG-X6 downwardly, longitudinally'of its bearings, and thus compress the spring E in a direction to force. the lateral extension 2 on sameup onto the cam 5, and. when saiddevice is restored. to its former position, the spring, E

will, ..expa1 1.d, thereby moving the winding shaft upwardly and carrying the, lateral extension 2 on thespring out of engagei nent with the cam .5. As shown in Figure 3, the winding-shaft is. proyided witha shoulder 6. that serve-sas an. abutment for the upper end of the. spring E, said springbeing interposed between a washer 7 that "ears against the underside said shoulderand a, washer 7? that bears against theshaft ear ingl located directly underneath the spilng E, The winding shaft is provided at its lower end with abutment 8., rigidly seand provided with a. .ed. notches 9 that, trump-ens 10 on the device-l5 previously referred to. Said trunnions 1.0 are so 7 is turned to, a hOrizon tal position, as shown in i gure r, the trunnions 10. will exert downward. pressure on: the abutment 8: on j the lower: end of the winding shaft, thereby causing said, wind.

n shaftxto IHO'VG downwardly long tud anally of the hearings; on

a the clamping, member in which said shatt turns. then the. device .F lat-here 1 after restoi to its former vertical, position. as shown; in Figure 5 and in Figure 3, the winding shaft will move upwardly relatively to, its l-iearings, due tothe expensive force of the spring E, the "trun- .nions 10 on the; device. F being so designed that when the device is in its, vertical position, the 'upp ends of, said trunnions will extend substantially flush with the upper end of the abutment S on the winding shaft in which said trunnions turn. If desired, a washer 11. can be lntBITNJSGLl between the abutment 8 on the winding shaft and the bottom shaft bearing on the leaf clamping member A, so as to form a wearing surface or bearing face for the trunnions 19. .l also prefer to interpose a sliding abutment member 12 between the upper end of the spring E and the washer 7 and provide said sliding abutment member with.

. a notch, as shown in Figures 7 and 7 that receives the vertically-disposed stop portion 4 on the leaf clamping member A, so as to reduce any tendency of the locking spring E to twist or turn in a direction to lock the winding shaft when said spring is in its inoperative condition, namely, with the extension 2 at the upper end of same out of engagement with the cam 5.

A loose leaf binder of the construction above described is of such simple design that it is not apt tol get out of order; it can be manufactured at a low cost and the locking means for the winding shaft is easy to operate and eliminates the possibility of the winding shaft turning accidentally in. a direction to slacken the tapes.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is: I

1. A loose leaf binder, comprising a wind ing shaft, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft. and means for causing said spring to exert suflicient frictional pressure on the shaft to lock the same or hold it against rotary movement.

2. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft, and means for drawing one or more coils of said spring into sufficiently snug engagement with the winding shaft to prevent same from turning accident-ally.

3. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a coiled spring surrounding i said shaft, and means for twisting or turning said spring so as to cause one or more coils of same to exert suflicient frictional pressure on the shaft to prevent it from turning accidentally.

4. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft, and means for exerting pressure on said spring in such a way as to reduce the diameter of one or more coils of same and thus cause the spring to hold the winding shaft against rotary movement.

5. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a locking member through which the winding shaft extends, and means for drawing said locking member into sufficiently snug engagement with the winding shaft to lock and hold the same.

6. A loose leaf binder, comprising a wind ing shaft, a resilient locking. member through: which said shaft extends, and means for reducing the internal diameterof said locking member soas to cause the same to hold the shaft against rotary movement.

7. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a spring surrounding a portion, of said shaft and provided with a late 'al extension, and a part that is adapted to engage said extension and exert pressure on said spring in a direction to cause the same to hold the shaft against rotary move-. ment.

8. A' loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a spring surrounding said shaft, a device that is adapted to engage said spring and exert pressure on same in a direction to cause the spring to hold the shaft againstrotary movement, and means for effecting the engagement and-disengagement of said cooperating elements.

9. A loose leaf binder, comprising a Winding shaft, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft and provided with a lateral extension, a part that is adapted to engage said extension and twist said spring so as to cause the same to hold the winding shaft against rotary movement, and means for effecting the engagement and disengagement of said extension and part, for the purpose de scribed.

10. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft and provided with an extension, a cam that is adapted to engage said extension and twist or turn the spring, and means for moving saidextension up onto said cam.

11. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft and provided with a lateral extension, an inclined surface alrranged in proximity to said extension, and means for compressing said spring endwise so as to cause said extension to engage said inclined surface. I

12. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a support for said shaft in which said shaft can move endwise, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft and provided with a lateral extension, an inclined surface that is adapted to be engaged by said extension, for the purpose described, and means for moving said shaft endwise of its support so as to cause the extension on said spring to engage said inclined surface.

13. A loose leaf binder, comprising a winding shaft, a bearing in which said shaft turns, a coiled spring surrounding said shaft between said bearing and a shoulder on the shaft, a lateral extension on said spring, a part that is adapted to co-operate with said extension to cause the spring, to hold the shaft against rotary movement, and means for moving said shaft endwise of said bearing so as to compress the spring and force the extension on. sameinto'engagement with saidpart. 7

14. A loose leaf binder, comprising LL Winding shaft, 21 member in which said shaft 'is rotatably mounted, a coiled spring surroundingsaid shaft-between a shoulder thereon and a'bearing on said member, a

'laterabextel'lsion'on one endofsaid spring,

in inclinedstirface on eaid membe'r' firm-flied 10 in' proximity to said extension, 1 an abutment member on said shaft, and a device interposed between the abut-men't'm'ember on the shaft-find the member in "which the'shaft -t11rnsforexerting an endwise thrust on said 157 shaft, for the purpose described.

ADOLPH RUBIN. 

